August 19, 2010

stirring old interests!!!

So, I should be thankful to Carrie for stirring an old interest that has been dormant for the better part of two years, at least. As you may know, her and a couple of friends chipped in and bought me a digital camera for my birthday. It isn't one of those fancy Cannon or Nikon cameras with a million settings that professionals use, it's simple and perfect for me at the moment. Carrie, Scott and I were out at Penn State College Campus because I wanted to take pictures. I haven't just gone out to take pictures in a very long time, though I did was down in April, but it didn't stir anything then. We were walking around campus and I was finding shots that I wasn't sure would come out well, but regardless I took the shot and hoped for the best. And so we continued to walk around campus and I was taking pictures of the old building I saw through the branches of trees that hung down over them. And I was taking pictures of flowers, the way I used when I would go to Portsmouth when the gardens were in full-bloom! It was when I was taking pictures of some blooms at the O.H. Smith Botanical Gardens at Penn State, that I remembered how much I really did enjoy taking pictures of nature, and some people, especially people I'm with that know I'm taking their picture. Somehow, this part of me was lost and buried since that awful break-up two years ago. And now you may ask what has happened. I am thanking my best friend and favorite roommate in whole world for this new stirring of an old interest that's been waiting, apparently, for the right opportunity to shine again. I never took photography classes, so it is completely a hobby and one that I have realized that I find true solice in. Even though I don't own a fancy digital camera, I have one that is doing a good enough job for me at this present time and if I feel like this interest can go anywhere, I will save the money to purchase a "fancy" digital camera, though sometimes I miss the 35mm with exchangeable lenses that I first started with. Today, Carrie and I returned to the Botanical Gardens so she could get some shots of the water lilies that are bloomed only during the day. I found some shots that I thought were interesting enough for me, and so I joined Carrie in sitting around the little pond and thoroughly enjoying what I was doing for the first time in a long time. I found shots that I was hesitant about, but took them anyway. When the day was over, or Carrie's battery died, we came back to the apartment and I let her look what I had taken over the last few days. And to my surprise she was impressed by some of them. She even gave me a couple of suggestions on post-editing for a couple of the shots I took. Listening to her and hearing what she thought was important to me and I realized then, that I have truly and regrettfully missed just going out and taking pictures of what I see in nature. So, my mission when I return home is: to go out as often as I can and just take pictures. Take pictures of whatever I see and am inspired by regardless of if I think it's going to make a good shot or not. That, to me, is the fun and joy of photography and what I have missed for far too long. So, here's to new adventures with an old interest!!!

1 comment:

  1. I have to learn to do this as I usually only take pictures when on vacation. And with no real vacation in sight until a year from now, I need to dust off my Canon camera and start shooting too. Thanks for sharing your blog!! Glad we got a chance to get to know you this summer. Hope to see you when you come back to visit. Otherwise I'll keep up with you on Facebook and on your blog. Hugs!!!

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